Role of temperature and
shade coverage on
behavior and habitat use
of captive African lions,
snow leopards, and
cougars
Caitlin Mack
Abstract
Big cats are native to a wide variety of environments. Unfortunately,
conservation is needed for many of these species, so a population is
kept in zoos. Oftentimes, captive cats living in these zoos are not in
their native climate, which can create unique challenges in animal
husbandry and exhibit design. For this study, the African lions
(Panthera leo), snow leopards (Panthera uncia), and cougars (Puma
concolor) residing at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden were
observed in their outdoor enclosures from the public viewing area. I
expected cats native to cold climates, such as the snow leopards,
would be more active during periods of lower temperatures. They
were observed on ten different days between September 2015 and
February 2016, for a half hour each day, a total of fifteen observation
hours, in temperatures ranging from 33°F to 73°F. Outdoor
enclosures were diagramed and divided up into sections. A behavioral
code was created with behaviors coded by letters. The cats’ behavior
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and position in their enclosures were recorded at every minute mark
for thirty minutes. The big cats displayed cooling behaviors more
frequently on warm days, primarily through seeking shade. Lions
were observed more frequently in shaded portions of the exhibit
during temperatures greater than 51°F. Temperature was found not to
have a significant effect on the average activity levels. The activity
levels and environmental preferences in cats appear to be influenced
by both the climate they grew up in and their species’ native climate.
Both should be taken into consideration when designing habitats for
big cat species in captivity.
Introduction
Big cat species live in a wide array of ecosystems. As such, they have
evolved different adaptations to live in these different environments,
such as heat regulation. African lions (Panthera leo) are native to the
hot, arid regions of Africa. They are classified by the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Vulnerable (Bauer et al,
2015). Snow leopards (Panthera uncia) are native to the alpine
regions of Central and South Asia. They are classified as Endangered
by the IUCN, which is more severe than vulnerable (Jackson et al,
2008). Cougars (Puma concolor) have a large species range from
Canada to the tip of Chile. They are well adapted to deal with a
variety of conditions. Because they have such a wide geographic
range, they are classified by the IUCN as Least Concern (Nielsen et
al, 2015).
Cat species in a zoological setting are often not kept in their native
climate zone. This creates a challenge in exhibit design, especially in
outdoor exhibits, as the needs of each cat species are different. Wild
cougars tend to be solitary and were found to prefer lower elevation
as the winter grew colder (Alexander et al. 2006). Lions, on the other
hand, are social animals, with the need to reinforce their bonds
through behaviors such as head rubbing (Matoba et al. 2013).
Behavioral enrichment has been found to be beneficial for orphan lion
cubs that were not been able to learn social behaviors from their
mothers (Ncube and Ndagurwa 2010). Captive cougars (Maia et al.
2012) and snow leopards (Sulser et al. 2008) have been shown to
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become less active during periods of construction or other noise.
Sometimes the exhibit design may also affect the activity levels of
cats through the creation of microclimates. Lions were found to spend
more time in the shade on sunny, warm days, while tigers were more
likely to engage in cooling behaviors such as solar radiation input and
evaporative heat loss. (Young et al. 2013). This kind of information is
important in order for big cats kept in captivity for conservation
purposes to be able to live healthy, enriched lives.
In this study, I observed differences in how three species of big cat,
native to different environments, reacted to changes in their
environment, specifically the effect of temperature and seasonal
changes. I looked at this through observing frequency and type of
activity and spatial preferences the cats exhibited within their
enclosures. I hypothesized that snow leopards and lions would
demonstrate the largest change in both activity levels and spatial
preferences as the seasons changed. Cougars would remain the most
constant. Snow leopards would become more active in the cold and
lions will become more active in the heat. A scan sampling model
was used in order to get an array of activity, since most cats species
sleep most of the day.
Methods
Subject and Enclosure Information
All study subjects were residents of the Cincinnati Zoo. The zoo is
located within a temperate climate with changing seasons. All study
subjects were kept in outdoor enclosures while observations were
being taken. The study subjects were two snow leopards , two
cougars, and five African lions (Figure 1). The snow leopards were a
young breeding pair. Their exhibit was oblong, with the elevation
rising through the enclosure. The cougars were brothers. The cougars’
exhibit contained a grassy area on one side with rocks and a cliff face
at the other side. The lions consisted of a breeding pair with their
three yearling female cubs. Their exhibit was mostly flat, with a slope
going down to a water feature. All subjects had either been born and
raised at the Cincinnati Zoo or had resided there for over one year.
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All subjects were observed during their normal routines, with no
interference from the observer.
Observation Methods
Species were observed ten different days from late September 2015
through early February 2016. All observations were carried out
somewhere between the hours of 9AM and 3PM, typically on the
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weekend. All three species were observed for thirty minutes within
the same day as the other species. The observer watched the cats from
the public viewing area of each of their exhibits. Instantaneous scan
sampling was used, with observations on activity type and animal
location within enclosure recorded every minute. A shorthand code
was created for each behavior type. Each behavior type was noted if
an animal was doing more than one. The animal enclosures were
divided up into sections, and these sections were noted every minute
as well (Figure 2).
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Statistical Analysis
An activity score was calculated for each cat based on ranking
behavior categories in intensity of activity. These scores were
averaged to find the average score for each cat species. A multiple
regression analysis was performed using Wessa Regression Software
for average activity score versus species, time of day, temperature,
and time of year. An analysis was also performed for percentage of
time spent in shade versus species, temperature, and sunshine and the
interaction between temp & sunshine.
Results
Cats were observed on ten occasions with the temperature ranging
from 33°F to 73°F and cloud coverage ranging from completely
sunny to fully cloudy days.
Lions were found to be less active than cougars and snow leopards
(p<0.05) according to the average activity level of the three species.
Multiple regression models looking at the effect of temperature,
season, and time of day on average activity level yielded no
significant results.
When looking at how the big cats used the natural variability in sun
exposure in their exhibits, all three cat species were found to spend
more time in the shade on days where the temperature was over 51°F
(Fig. 3). Multiple regression showed a significant interaction between
cloud coverage and temperature. The three big cat species spent most
time in the shade on warm, sunny days with snow leopards spending
more time in the shade than the lions and cougars (Table 1).
As temperatures got colder, the lions and cougars changed their
preferred section of their exhibit. On warmer days, the lions preferred
section 10, a shaded portion of their exhibit. On colder days, they
spent more of their time in section 5, which is unshaded. The cougars
preferred section 7, which is shaded, on warmer days and section 1,
which is unshaded, on colder days.
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Discussion
The results of this experiment support earlier studies. Another study
looking at microclimates in captive tiger and lion exhibits found that
lions spent more time in the shade on warm, sunny days versus other
days (Young et al. 2013). There was evidence with these cats that
both the native climate of their species and the environment with
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which the individual cat is familiar influenced behavior. In support of
the effect of native climate, the snow leopards were found in the
shade more often than the cougars or African lions. This is possibly
due to the snow leopards’ thick coats, as compared to the other two
cats. Since snow leopards evolved for the extreme cold of the
mountains of Central Asia, they are built to retain any heat they can
get. The evidence for the influence of the environment familiar to the
individual was that all three species shared similarities in activity and
shade-seeking. Also interesting was that the cougars and lions in this
study changed their preferred habitat area as the weather changed.
Looking forward, this study gives evidence that in exhibit design, it is
important to take into account the native climate of the species, the
habitat variability tolerance of the species, and the climate with which
the individual cat is familiar. One of the goals of exhibit design is to
prevent stress behavior by providing enrichment. One way to do this
is to provide diversity in shade and elevation within the habitat. For
future research, it would be interesting to have a wider-ranging study
using multiple zoos in various climates and environments and
comparing results between them to see if the trends were similar
between the different locations or if there are differences.
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